Marketing Blog

After the 2026 NADRA SoCal Regional Event in Carlsbad, California, April Edwards sat down with Jenn Zedaker, Membership Coordinator for NADRA, to talk about what builders may actually be giving up when they stay home.

If you got hit by a truck tomorrow, what would happen to your business? Would your team know what to do? Would your clients be taken care of? Would your spouse be able to walk in and keep it running?

You signed up for JobTread. Maybe you loaded a few cost items. Maybe you even sent a proposal through it once or twice. But right now it is sitting there half-built, and you are still running your business the same way you were before you bought it.

If you are doing premium work and keep losing the bid to a builder who you know is not doing work as good as yours, this is for you. Because the problem is not that you need more leads. The problem is that your proof does not match your skill.

Cash is coming in. The schedule is full. You look at the bank account and feel good for the first time in months. So you stop thinking about marketing. You stop collecting reviews. You stop updating your CRM. You stop documenting your projects. And you tell yourself you will deal with all of that when things slow down.

You can be the best builder in your market and still get passed up by someone who markets themselves better. That is not a guess. I see it every week.

You are spending money on Google Ads but you have no idea if it is bringing in business. Or you are thinking about starting and someone told you to just throw five hundred dollars in and see what happens. Either way, you are guessing. And guessing with ad spend is expensive.

The leads are there, the crews are busy, the days are full, but something still feels off. Profit is inconsistent, jobs feel chaotic, and growth starts to create more stress instead of more freedom.

Running a deck building business often starts with doing everything yourself. You handle the calls, manage the projects, follow up with leads, and still find yourself catching up on admin work late at night. At some point, it stops being sustainable. That’s where the conversation around time, delegation, and systems becomes critical.

While vacationing in Laguna Beach, the couple opened up about their entrepreneurial journey and what it really takes to build a business that not only supports their family but also leaves room for personal growth and quality time. Here’s what they had to say.

A lot of deck builders are busy right now. Estimates are going out, calls are coming in, and the calendar looks packed. But despite all that activity, many are still landing smaller jobs, dealing with price shoppers, or spending time on leads that never go anywhere. It’s easy to assume the solution is simple: get more leads. But in most cases, that’s not the real problem.

As a deck builder, you may think offering free estimates is the key to bringing in new business. After all, it’s a standard practice in the industry. But in reality, free estimates could be costing you more than you think—especially when it comes to your time and profitability.

Homeowners are researching earlier. They are vetting harder. They are choosing the builder they already trust before the first sales call. Marketing is no longer about chasing leads. It’s about building trust before they ever reach out.

If you missed April’s session at Deck Expo 2025, this is your chance to watch the full breakdown.

From professionalism in 2026 to co-op marketing dollars, partnership opportunities, and common mistakes builders make when asking for support, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what actually earns long-term backing from manufacturers.

As we approach the tail end of February, many deck builders are starting to feel the buzz of the busy season creeping closer. But while everyone else is eagerly awaiting the spring rush, smart builders know that the key to success isn’t waiting until April—it’s tightening up the systems now. By preparing early, they can ride the wave of demand without scrambling or stressing over mistakes that could have been avoided.

As a deck builder, you know that the quality of your craftsmanship speaks for itself. However, if your branding doesn’t match the excellence of your work, you may be unknowingly losing out on potential leads. Dan explains how, even before the phone rings, your branding has already set the stage for whether or not a lead will convert into a customer.

In the world of deck building, growth is the dream. Every builder wants to see their business expand, increase revenue, and land bigger projects. But why is it that so many deck builders lose momentum right after they decide to grow? In this episode of the We Love Deck Builders Podcast, we’re joined by Jessie Champagne, our onboarding expert at Deck Builder Marketers, who provides invaluable insights into why many builders stall after making the decision to grow and how to overcome it.